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Actors We Lost In 2022

They say that nothing is certain in life apart from death and taxes, and being a famous Hollywood actor does not exempt you from either. We lost some real icons of the film and TV world towards the end of 2021, with Betty White, Norm Macdonald, Sonny Chiba, and Robert Downey Sr. all taking their final bows. Things didn't slow down in the new year, either, as 2022 saw plenty of high-profile deaths, from Emmy-earning comedians and history-making Oscar winners to sitcom icons and young Marvel stars. Whether it was due to illnesses like COVID-19 or tragic accidents, Tinseltown lost a lot of its big names and up-and-coming voices. We're paying tribute to them right here, so read on to see the actors we lost in 2022.

Updated on January 4, 2023: Sadly, we lost a lot of high-profile actors in 2022, from rising stars to absolute legends. We're honoring them here.

Meat Loaf

Iconic singer and actor Meat Loaf, who won a Grammy for his hit ballad "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" and appeared in films like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Fight Club," died in January 2022. His manager confirmed the news to The New York Times, but did not immediately reveal the cause of death. He was 74.

Born Marvin Lee Aday, the Dallas native adopted his childhood nickname as a stage name early in his career. He got his big break when he auditioned for the off-Broadway musical "More Than You Deserve" in the early '70s: He won a role and formed a lifelong partnership with writer Jim Steinman, who would go on to pen Meat Loaf's debut album, 1977's "Bat Out of Hell." Todd Rundgren produced the record, and everyone from the New York Philharmonic to members of the E Street Band contributed. It was an unlikely hit that critics begrudgingly praised, though Meat Loaf would struggle to replicate its success in the years that followed. After a few flops, he dropped 1993's "Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell," which included his Grammy-winning single.

In terms of films, Meat Loaf is best known for playing Eddie the delivery boy in 1975's "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and former bodybuilder Bob Paulson in 1999's "Fight Club." Other notable credits include 1992's "Wayne's World," 2001's "The 51st State," and "Ghost Wars," on which he recurred between 2017 and 2018.

Bob Saget

Comedian and actor Bob Saget, best known for his long stint on the sitcom "Full House," died in January 2022. He was found dead in his hotel room with "no evidence of drug use or foul play," said Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany (via ABC 7). "I am so completely shattered and in disbelief," his wife, Kelly Rizzo Saget, said in a statement (per Variety). He was 65.

Saget made his TV debut as Bob the Comic in a 1981 episode of the Tom Hanks sitcom "Bosom Buddies." He established himself as a reliable character actor in the years that followed, playing a soldier in "At Ease" and a doctor in "It's a Living." In 1987, he won the part of Danny Tanner on "Full House," which became a career-defining role. Saget played the widowed father of three from 1987 to 1995, and reprised the role in the Netflix-produced sequel series, "Fuller House." It was often hectic on set, but Saget had fond memories of working with his onscreen kids. "Jodie Sweetin was four when she started, Ashley and Mary-Kate [Olsen] were nine months, Candace [Cameron Bure] was nine — you're talking about exceptionally talented young kids," the actor told Vanity Fair in 2014.

Elsewhere, Saget was known as the voice of the older Ted Mosby on "How I Met Your Mother" and as the host of "America's Funniest Home Videos," which he fronted for almost a decade.

Gaspard Ulliel

French actor Gaspard Ulliel, who was best known to international audiences for his turn as the young Hannibal Lecter, died due to a skiing accident in January 2022, as reported by Deadline. He was 37.

Ulliel began his career on French television in the late 1990s, and was landing film roles by the early 2000s. His big break arrived in 2004, when he landed the part of Manech in "A Very Long Engagement." This wartime drama reunited "Amelie" director Jean-Pierre Jeunet with the star of that film, Audrey Tautou. Ulliel won his first Cesar award for this movie (his second came in 2017, when he scooped up Best Actor for "It's Only the End of the World") and would make the transition to Hollywood soon after, playing the titular killer in the 2007 prequel film "Hannibal Rising." It was his biggest role at the time of his death, though that likely won't remain the case.

Sadly, Ulliel died a few months before Marvel's "Moon Knight" dropped, in which he plays Anton Mogart (aka Midnight Man), a black market antiquities dealer who goes head to head with the titular hero.

Louie Anderson

Emmy winner Louie Anderson, who appeared in films like "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Coming to America," died of complications from cancer in January 2022, his publicist confirmed to CNN. He was 68. Tributes from across the entertainment world poured in after the news broke. "I was one of the lucky ones who got to call Louie a friend," screenwriter Carl Kurlander wrote in a Deadline tribute piece. "He made me and others in his orbit feel like family."

Anderson decided to give stand-up a go after his colleagues (he was "working as a social worker with troubled children" at the time, said Kurlander) dared him to go on stage. The audience loved him, and it wasn't long before he was making his mark in the comedy world. Anderson's talent and career were multifaceted: He was as comfortable in front of a crowd as he was fronting game shows. Indeed, he would become a fixture on American TV screens as the host of "Family Feud" from 1999 to 2002.

Anderson plied his trade on shows like "Grace Under Fire," "Touched by an Angel," "Chicago Hope," and "Scrubs," but some of his best work came in the twilight of his career. Anderson was nominated for Emmys three years running for his performance on the Zach Galifianakis-led FX comedy "Baskets," winning in 2016.

Sidney Poitier

Hollywood legend Sidney Poitier, widely seen as the first Black movie star, died in January 2022 at the age of 94, as confirmed by The New York Times. "Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together," Barack Obama said in a tweet. Denzel Washington called him "a gentle man [who] opened doors for all of us that had been closed for years" in an interview with People.

Poitier earned his first credited film role, Dr. Luther Brooks, in 1950's "No Way Out." He actively avoided demeaning roles, and by the end of the decade, his persistence began paying off. He became the first Black man to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1959, blowing critics away with his turn as an escaped prisoner in "The Defiant Ones." He missed out on that occasion, but would make history a few years later when he became the first Black man to win that award for his performance as an itinerant laborer 1963's "Lilies of the Field."

How did Poitier feel about opening so many doors for Black actors and artists everywhere? "It's been an enormous responsibility," he once told Oprah Winfrey. "And I accepted it, and I lived in a way that showed how I respected that responsibility. I had to."

Peter Robbins

Peter Robbins, who was best known as the original voice of Charlie Brown, died in January 2022. Dylan Novak, Robbins' friend and agent, told the Los Angeles Times that the cause of death was suicide. He was 65.

The convention regular made his onscreen debut in the 1963 film "A Ticklish Affair." He appeared on the TV shows "Rawhide," "The Donna Reed Show," "The Munsters," and "The Farmer's Daughter" the following year. Robbins began voicing Charlie Brown in 1965 and went on to play the classic "Peanuts" character seven times before the end of the decade, most notably in the feature-length films "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," and "A Boy Named Charlie Brown." According to the Times, Robbins was so proud of his work on the franchise that he got a tattoo of Charlie Brown and Snoopy on his arm.

Robbins was also known for his work on another comic adaptation: He played Alexander Bumstead on the live-action "Blondie" series, based on the long-running strip of the same name. Other notable credits include the films "Moment to Moment," "And Now Miguel," and "Good Times," as well as the TV shows "The F.B.I.," "F Troop," "Get Smart," and "My Three Sons."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Moses J. Moseley

Up-and-coming actor Moses J. Moseley, who appeared on shows like "Watchmen," "Queen of the South," and "The Walking Dead" was found dead in Georgia in January 2022. "Moses was a very talented person, with a bright light around him," his agent, Tabatha Minchew, told The Hollywood Reporter. "He will be missed deeply by his friends, family and fans. Always a ball of happy energy around him." The cause of death was not immediately revealed by authorities, who launched an investigation to determine the circumstances. He was 31.

A native of South Carolina, Moseley studied at Georgia State University before settling down in Atlanta. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he worked as a model before transitioning into acting. He got his foot in the door with a number of uncredited appearances in locally-shot films like "Trouble with the Curve," "The Internship," and "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." Moseley began playing Michonne's pet walker Mike on "The Walking Dead" in 2012, and would appear on the hit AMC show half a dozen times over the next few years.

Moseley went on to play Tic Toc on USA Network's "Queen of the South," an usher on HBO's critically-acclaimed "Watchmen" series, and Kadeem on Irv Gotti's "Tales." His most notable feature film was 2017's "Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies," in which he played Robbie. Moseley had several projects in various stages of production when he was reported missing by his family, including "Hank" and "Cadillac Respect."

Dale Critchlow

Actor Dale Critchlow, who was best known for playing Lyle the farmer in the offbeat cult classic "Napoleon Dynamite," died in February 2022, as reported by Deadline. He was 92.

A native of Utah who moved to Idaho in his 30s, Critchlow landed his small but memorable role by pure chance. The film was shot on location in Idaho, where Critchlow lived and worked as a real farmer. He needed help with his animals one day, so his wife reached out to the mother of writer-director Jared Hess. "My wife called Jared Hess' mother and asked if one of her boys was there," he told East Idaho News. "He came over, and he had a friend with him. I drove the truck out into the pasture, and the sheep came over. They grabbed those bucks and pushed them into the truck ... and then later, he came back and [said], 'I want you to be in my movie.'"

Critchlow became well known in his hometown of Preston after the film became a success, and was always happy to pose for pictures. He went on to feature in another comedy, 2006's "Church Ball," which was considerably less successful. But Critchlow remained famous for his turn in "Napoleon Dynamite," despite not being overly keen on the film. "I thought it was kind of funny in places, and in a few places, it was kind of dragged out," he said in 2020.

William Hurt

Academy Award winner William Hurt — who owned the '80s with hits like "The Big Chill" and "Gorky Park" — died in March 2022. The actor was 71 years old, and as his son, Will, said in a statement (via Variety), Hurt "died peacefully, among family, of natural causes." Hurt was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 2018, although it hasn't been publicly confirmed this was the cause of his death. What is known is that Hurt left behind a major cinematic legacy.

Born in Washington, D.C., Hurt studied theology at Tufts before finding his true passion: acting. After attending Juilliard, he decided to tread the boards, snagging a Tony nod in 1985 for his performance in "Hurlyburly." But it was on the screen that Hurt would truly shine. The actor made his debut film performance with "Altered States," a psychedelic trip that mixes mushrooms, religious imagery, and body horror. He followed that up with the sexy noir flick "Body Heat" — the film that propelled him to stardom.

After that, Hurt won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of gay prisoner Luis Molina in "Kiss of the Spider Woman." It was just the first of four times he'd be up for an Oscar, with the Academy nominating his work for "Children of a Lesser God," "Broadcast News," and "A History of Violence." Fans will also recognize Hurt from projects like "The Village" and "A.I. Artificial Intelligence." Of course, the man left his stamp on the superhero genre by playing Thaddeus Ross, the MCU antagonist who pursued Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff while making things incredibly difficult for Steve Rogers with the Sokovia Accords.

Estelle Harris

Estelle Harris came to fame as an actor well into adulthood, most familiar to TV audiences as Estelle Costanza, the combative, shrill-voiced mother of George Costanza on the mega-popular '90s sitcom "Seinfeld." Harris appeared on nearly 30 episodes of the series, but she used that distinctive angry voice in a number of other projects post-"Seinfeld," including the "Toy Story" movies (as Mrs. Potato Head), "Brother Bear," "Teacher's Pet," and "Futurama." 

But Harris was much more than an argumentative, uniquely voiced maternal figure. She had more than 100 acting credits to her name, all of them coming in her late 40s and beyond. Harris started her acting career in community theater, regional theater, and summer stock before segueing into TV with appearances in commercials. According to CNN, she once appeared in 25 nationally broadcast ads in one year.

According to a statement from Harris' son, Glen, via agent Michael Eisenstadt, Estelle Harris died on April 2, 2022. A cause of death was not provided; the actor was 93.

Nehemiah Persoff

The embodiment of the always-working character actor, Nehemiah Persoff amassed more than 200 screen credits over the course of a career that spanned nearly 60 years. An original member of the innovative and focused Actors Studio, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Persoff, a Jerusalem native, appeared in 11 Broadway productions in the '40s and '50s before moving into film and TV. There, his roles were usually small but memorable, including a U-Boat captain cursed to repeat his most vicious decision for eternity on "The Twilight Zone," an exiled despot on an episode of "Gilligan's Island," a cab driver in "On the Waterfront," a gangster in "Some Like it Hot," a rabbi on HBO's "Angels in America," and the kindly Papa Mousekewitz in the 1986 animated hit "An American Tail." He is particularly well remembered for playing Rebbe Mendel, the titular heroine's beloved father, in "Yentl."

According to Persoff's son, the actor died in a care facility in San Luis Obispo on April 5, 2022. He was 102.

Gilbert Gottfried

Never a leading man and almost always a supporting character in broad comedies and family movies, Gilbert Gottfried became a household name because of his memorable public and on-screen persona — that of a perpetually irate, squinting malcontent screaming his thoughts in a shrill, scratchy, overblown New York accent. 

After a major breakthrough as a member of the cast of "Saturday Night Live," Gottfried became a fixture in '80s and '90s movies, oft-rerun cultural touchstones for kids and teens who grew up in that era. For example, he played Sidney Bernstein in "Beverly Hills Cop II," Mr. Peabody in all three "Problem Child" movies, and voiced Iago in "Aladdin," as well as the Aflac duck in a long-running series of insurance commercials. That's to say nothing of his dozens of other appearances in TV shows and movies, making use of his purposely annoying all-purpose characterization. Gottfried was also a relentlessly performing stand-up comedian and a dark and twisted one favored by other knock-around comics, as evidenced by his appearances on Comedy Central's series of celebrity roasts.

On April 12, 2022, Gottfried's Twitter account broke the news that the actor and comedian had died following an unspecified "long illness," with his publicist later specifying that the cause of death was recurrent ventricular tachycardia due to myotonic dystrophy type II. Gottfried was 67.

Liz Sheridan

With parallel, long-lasting careers on the stage and on television, Liz Sheridan was a highly recognizable face on both Broadway and sitcoms for years. 

Sheridan starred in seven major productions on the Great White Way in the 1970s, including "Ballroom," "Happy End," "Best Friend," and "Something's Afoot." In the early 1980s Sheridan took her talents to the small screen, racking up numerous guest appearances on hit shows of the era, including "Archie Bunker's Place," "St. Elsewhere," "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," "Riptide," and "One Day at a Time" before landing her first signature role — nosy, obnoxious, adversarial neighbor lady Raquel Ochmonek on NBC's mega-hit alien sitcom "ALF." Sheridan appeared on multiple episodes of the series between 1986 and 1990, the same year she was cast in another recurring role on an NBC comedy, for which she's probably best known: Helen Seinfeld, the meddling, Florida-residing mother of Jerry Seinfeld on "Seinfeld."

Sheridan's representative reported to Deadline on April 15, 2022 that the actor had died in her sleep sometime during the previous evening. Sheridan was 93.

Robert Morse

Robert Morse is probably best known to contemporary audiences for his role as old-school ad man and company co-founder Bert Cooper on "Mad Men." With its 1960s setting, business world plots, and one very memorable musical number, "Mad Men" easily brings Morse's first claim to fame to mind: He won a Tony Award in 1962 for his role as the accidentally successful window washer-turned-corporate star J. Pierrepont Finch in the classic Broadway musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." 

Morse appeared in many other stage productions before and after that breakthrough hit, including "The Front Page" and "Tru," a one-man play about writer Truman Capote, which won Morse his second Tony Award (as well as an Emmy for the TV adaptation). He was all over TV and film for decades as well, including appearances on "Teen Titans Go!," "American Crime Story," and the movie version of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." On April 20, 2022, Morse's son, Charlie, reported to Los Angeles's KABC that his father had died. A cause of death was not revealed. Morse was 90 years old.

Mike Hagerty

Mike Hagerty was among the most prolific and recognizable character actors of the last 40 years, popping up in more than 100 movies and TV shows, usually playing a gruff, blue-collar, working man type with a big mustache and pronounced Chicagoan accent. 

Among Hagerty's most familiar roles, there's Davey, a cable TV station employee in "Wayne's World," apartment building superintendent Mr. Treeger on "Friends" (who becomes Joey's ballroom dance partner), best friend of the main character in the original "Overboard," an auto shop owner on "Lucky Louie," and a main cast role on "The George Carlin Show." Hagerty recently played a captain on multiple episodes of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," appeared on "Shameless," and played farmer Ed Miller on "Somebody Somewhere."

On her Instagram page, "Somebody Somewhere" star Bridget Everett reported that Hagerty had died on May 5, 2022, in Los Angeles. A cause of death was not revealed to media outlets for the actor, who was 67 years old.

Fred Ward

When a major movie director in the '70s, '80s, or '90s needed a performer to play a gruff manly man (who's also approachable and charming, even if he's the villain), they often called upon character actor Fred Ward. According to CNN, Ward served in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a boxer, cook, and lumberjack before landing his breakthrough role in 1979's "Escape from Alcatraz." He snagged his signature role, astronaut Gus Grissom in "The Right Stuff," four years later.

Ward's career proved to be long and varied. He turned in especially memorable performances in action flick "Remo Williams: the Adventure Begins," horror-comedy "Tremors," biographical drama "Henry and June," and satire "The Player," among his nearly 100 film and TV roles. His talents weren't limited to acting, either — Ward developed his skills as a painter in the last few years of his life. As reported by Deadline, the actor died on May 8, 2022. He was 79.

Ray Liotta

One of the finest and most recognizable actors of his era, Ray Liotta alternated between rugged leading man roles and quirky character actor parts, usually playing tough guys, criminals, and intimidating figures, as well as frequently sending up his public image as a man of simmering, unhinged intensity. 

Liotta was a prolific actor, appearing in more than 100 movies and TV shows since the 1980s. He broke out in a big way with back-to-back roles as the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1989's "Field of Dreams" and real-life Mafia big shot Henry Hill in "Goodfellas," Martin Scorsese's classic crime epic that would earn six Oscar nominations. That film solidified Liotta's specialty of playing men just barely on one side of the law or the other, similar to his performances in "Something Wild," "Cop Land," "Unlawful Entry," "Narc," "Observe and Report," "Shades of Blues," and "The Many Saints of Newark."

According to Deadline, Liotta was in the Dominican Republic in May 2022 filming the movie "Dangerous Waters," when he died in his sleep. Liotta was 67.

Philip Baker Hall

In a career spanning more than 200 roles back to the early 1970s, Philip Baker Hall became a quintessential character actor, lending his raspy voice and intense stare to countless movies and TV shows, playing patriarchs, authority figures, judges, and grumps. 

Hall became a favorite of auteur-type filmmakers and innovative comedies relatively late in his career and life. He's probably best known to audiences as Lt. Joe Bookman, a taciturn "library cop" tenaciously investigating Jerry Seineld for a decades-overdue book on the comedian's titular show. You'll also likely recognize him as the intimidating but secretly sweet neighbor Walt on "Modern Family," Doctor Morrison on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and hippo game show host Hank Hippopopalous on "BoJack Horseman." Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson also cast Hall in prominent roles in his first three features — "Hard Eight," "Boogie Nights," and "Magnolia."

According to Hall's daughter (via The Hollywood Reporter), the actor died at home in Glendale, California, on June 12, 2022. Hall was 90 years old.

Joe Turkel

A chameleonic and frequently employed character actor, Joe Turkel racked up an whopping 142 screen credits over a career that spanned from the late 1940s to the 1990s. Of course, he's most closely associated with the films of Stanley Kubrick, who cast the actor in three films. Turkel starred in "The Killing" and "Paths of Glory," but he's most famous for his appearance in "The Shining," where he played the creepy ghost hotel bartender Lloyd.

Turkel was virtually retired by the 1980s, when Ridley Scott hired him to play replicant maker Dr. Eldon Tyrell in the 1982 sci-fi classic "Blade Runner," a role he reprised in a 1997 "Blade Runner" video game. Other than those major film works, Turkel was a constant presence over decades of television, with one-shot roles on dozens of memorable shows, including "Miami Vice," "Fantasy Island," "Kojak," "The Andy Griffith Show," "Bonanza," "Ironside," and "Combat!"

According to Variety, Turkel died in a Santa Monica, California, hospital on June 27, 2022. He was 94.

James Caan

One of the best and most definitive actors of his generation, James Caan starred in some of the most highly regarded films of the latter half of the 20th century, his career concurrent to that of the gritty, edgy "auteur era" of filmmaking. 

Usually playing tough guys, criminals, intimidating dudes, macho men, and inscrutable patriarchs, Caan paid his dues on 1960s TV dramas like "Naked City," "The Untouchables," and "Wagon Train" before moving into interesting films in the early 1970s. In rapid succession, Caan starred as the title character in the adaptation of John Updike's "Rabbit Run," played real-life football player Brian Piccolo in the acclaimed made-for-TV tearjerker "Brian's Song," and found probably his most iconic role ever as Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather." (For the last two, he received Emmy and Oscar nominations, respectively.) 

Caan would finish out the decade with roles in the cult classic sci-fi movie "Rollerball," briefly playing Sonny again in "The Godfather: Part II," and portraying a rogue cop in the crime comedy caper "Freebie and the Bean." Later in his career, Caan would land memorable starring roles in "Alien Nation," "Misery," "Honeymoon in Vegas," and "Elf," and join the frothy NBC drama "Las Vegas." Sadly, on July 7, 2022, Caan's family announced on Twitter that the actor died the previous evening. He was 82.

Larry Storch

An icon of early television and mid-20th century sitcoms, Larry Storch was a familiar face and presence to multiple generations of Americans who grew up watching reruns of classic shows on cable and in syndication. Storch's most famous gig was that of the bumbling, ineffectual Corporal Randolph Agarn on "F Troop," the two-season wacky comedy about U.S. soldiers stationed at the Wild West army outpost Fort Courage in the late 19th century, spending their time cooking up schemes and slacking off. (A broadly comic actor, Storch also played Agarn's cousins from around the world.) 

In addition to "F Troop," Storch put in appearances on "I Dream of Jeannie," "The Love Boat," "Love, American Style," "Car 54, Where Are You?," and later moved into voice work, playing characters on "Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, "The Brady Kids," and "Garfield and Friends." On July 8, 2022, Storch's officially authorized Facebook page reported that the actor had died in his sleep, sometime during the previous night. Storch was 99 years old.

Gregory Itzin

While he had a long career as a character actor dating back more than 40 years, Gregory Itzin was likely best known for his role on the smash-hit and timely early 2000s action drama "24." Itzin portrayed Charles Logan, a conniving and snotty vice president who finagles his way into the presidency. The part earned Itzin two Emmy Award nominations, one for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and one for Guest Actor when he returned late in the "24" run. In addition to roles on various "Star Trek" shows, "The Mentalist," "NCIS," "Covert Affairs," "Friends," "Mob City," "Big Love," and "Charlie's Angels," Itzin performed a bit part in 1980's "Airplane!" as an airport-working cult recruiter. Tragically, Logan underwent an emergency surgery in July 2022, but complications from the procedure (via Entertainment Weekly) would prove fatal. He was 74.

Tony Sirico

Perhaps the quintessential supporting actor specializing in playing elegant but intimidating mobsters, Tony Sirico found the role of his life as Peter Paul Gualtieri, aka Paulie Walnuts, on HBO's universally acclaimed modern-day Mafia saga "The Sopranos." 

An explosive, funny, and loyal lieutenant to mob boss Tony Soprano, Sirico provided comic relief as Paulie Walnuts, offering up terse one-liners and amusing mispronunciations. "The Sopranos" is the most famous of Sirico's good work playing bad men — he played similar characters in "Goodfellas," "Bullets Over Broadway," and "Mighty Aphrodite." His very first film work came as an extra in the organized crime drama "Crazy Joe," with Sirico having turned to playing fictional law-breakers in order to escape a real life of actual crime. According to Variety, Sirico was arrested 28 times as a kid and young adult, and he had connections to the Colombo crime family. In recent years, and after "The Sopranos" ended, Sirico traded on his image and tendency to be typecast, playing tough characters on comedy shows, like a gangster on "American Dad" and a gruff dog on "Family Guy."

Sirico's manager confirmed to media outlets that the actor died on Friday, July 8, 2022. He was 79.

David Warner

A classically trained actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in his native England, David Warner got his start in the 1960s at the lauded Royal Shakespeare Company, where he played many of the Bard's kingly characters and the title role in an acclaimed 1965 staging of "Hamlet," according to NBC News. He later focused on screen work, starring in works based on plays by Shakespeare, Henrik Ibsen, and Anton Chekov, including "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "A Doll's House," and "The Sea Gull."

However, he ultimately found his niche portraying icy, unrelenting villains on TV and in film. He won an Emmy for his work as a calculating Roman senator in the miniseries "Masada," and he portrayed Evil Genius in "Time Bandits," the odious valet Spicer Lovejoy in "Titanic," Jack the Ripper in the time-travel cult classic "Time After Time," multiple parts in "Tron," and the murderous Thomas Eckhardt in "Twin Peaks." Other memorable roles included the doomed journalist Keith Jennings in the horror favorite "The Omen" and several unrelated parts in various "Star Trek" projects.

Warner's family told the Associated Press that the actor died on July 24, 2022 from an illness related to cancer while residing at the Denville Hall entertainers retirement home in London. Warner was 80 years old.

Paul Sorvino

Paul Sorvino worked in character roles and on the New York stage throughout the 1960s and 1970s, earning a Tony nomination for his work in "That Championship Season" on Broadway in 1973. Following a starring role on the short-lived "The Streets of San Francisco" spinoff "Bert D'Angelo/Superstar," Sorvino reprised his role as Phil Romano in the film version of "That Championship Season," his mainstream screen acting breakthrough. 

In 1990, Sorvino would land back-to-back roles in major movies, which would amount to his signature work — gangster Lips Manlis in the big-screen adaptation of "Dick Tracy," and as the paternal, calculating mob boss Paulie Cicero in the crime saga "Goodfellas." In addition to criminals, Sorvino played a lot of authority figures, like Sergeant Phil Cerreta early in the run of "Law and Order," Juliet's father in Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet," Henry Kissinger in Oliver Stone's "Nixon," and Frank Costello in "Godfather of Harlem."

Sadly, Sorvino died on July 25, 2022. According to the actor's publicist (via CNN), natural causes were to blame. Sorvino was 83.

Tony Dow

Tony Dow is most remembered for a signature role that came early in his life and career, but what a role it was. From 1957 to 1963, he played squeaky-clean, quintessential 1950s teenager Wally Cleaver on "Leave It to Beaver," a hit sitcom and definitive show of the golden age of TV that would live on for decades in endless reruns. 

After "Beaver" wrapped up, Dow played Chet on the melodramatic, short-lived, teen-oriented soap opera "Never Too Young" but would only act occasionally in the decades thereafter, guest-starring on shows like "Adam-12," "The Mod Squad," and "Knight Rider." He frequently returned to the role that made him famous, whether it was co-starring on the 1980s reboot "The New Leave It to Beaver" or sending up his character in a "Kentucky Fried Movie" cameo. Dow segued into a career as TV show director in the '80s, ultimately helming episodes of "Coach," "Babylon 5," and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" while also forming a construction company and becoming a sculptor, per Variety.

According to CNN, Dow received a cancer diagnosis in May 2022. In July 2022, the actor died at the age of 77.

Mary Alice

Mary Alice began her professional acting career in the early 1970s, co-starring in "No Place to Be Somebody" on Broadway and showing up on TV shows over the next decade and change, including "Good Times," "Sanford and Son," and "The Women of Brewster Place." She began portraying Lettie Bostic on the mega-popular college sitcom "A Different World" in 1988, just after winning a Tony Award for her work in the original Broadway stage production of August Wilson's "Fences." 

On the screen, Alice stayed with NBC, landing the role of Marguerite Peck on the short-lived but critically acclaimed Civil Rights-era drama "I'll Fly Away," for which she'd take home an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Alice showed up in dozens more movies and TV series, but she'll likely always be best known for being part of the ensemble of the extended universe of "The Matrix." After the death of original actress Gloria Foster, Alice played the wise and mysterious figure known as the Oracle in "The Matrix Revolutions" and in two spinoff games.

On July 28, 2022, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department told National Public Radio that Mary Alice had died at her home of natural causes. The actor was 85 years old.

Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols had many roles in a career that spanned more than 60 years, beginning with an appearance as a dancer in the 1959 movie musical "Porgy and Bess." Of course, she's easily best known for a character she played on one of the most influential and enduringly popular sci-fi TV shows ever made. 

From 1966 to 1969, Nichols portrayed Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on the original "Star Trek," reprising the role in an animated "Star Trek" series, six movies, and numerous shorts and video games. According to Variety, Nichols considered leaving "Star Trek" after its first season for a stage career, but she was convinced to stay by Martin Luther King, who told the actor that it was important for the Civil Rights Movement for a Black woman to be on television in such a prominent role. A sci-fi icon from "Star Trek," Nichols worked extensively over the decades in similarly speculative shows, including "Futurama," Gargoyles," "Spider-Man: The Animated Series," "Renegades," and "Heroes."

Gilbert Bell, Nichols' business partner, confirmed the actor's death to media outlets. Nichols died on July 30, 2022 in Silver City, New Mexico at the age of 89.

Olivia Newton-John

Before she was an actor, England-born but Australia-raised Olivia Newton-John was primarily known as a singer. In the early 1970s, her smooth and twangy sound made her one of the  few non-Americans to find success in country music. She ascended the pop and adult contemporary charts too, with hits like "I Honestly Love You," and "Have You Never Been Mellow." And the movie business made good use of Newton-John's talents. She starred as Sandy in the blockbuster film adaptation of the Broadway musical "Grease," as well as in the original movie musical "Xanadu," with both films serving as major vehicles for Newton-John. 

After scoring the #1 hit of 1982 with her song "Physical," Newton-John focused more on acting. She reunited with her "Grease" co-star John Travolta for the supernatural rom-com "Two of a Kind," then turned in various cameos in the '90s and beyond, popping up on "Snowy River," "Ned and Stacey," and "Murphy Brown." Her most recent role was co-starring as herself with "Crocodile Dundee" standout Paul Hogan in "The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee," reflecting on the Australian cultural craze she helped start.

Newton-John's husband, John Easterling, announced on Facebook (via The Hollywood Reporter) that the actor had died at home in Southern California on August 8, 2022. A source told TMZ that the cause of death was breast cancer, a disease with which Newton-John coped for three decades. She was 73.

Anne Heche

After a long stint on the soap "Another World," Anne Heche made a big impression in the indie hit "Walking and Talking" and then majorly broke out, starring in "Donnie Brasco," "Volcano," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," and "Wag the Dog" — all in 1997. Then Heche headlined the adventure comedy "Six Days Seven Nights" and Gus Van Sant's "Psycho" remake, ultimately settling into a career as a TV performer, turning in memorable arcs on "Everwood," "Nip/Tuck," and "Hung" before starring on her own short-lived vehicles "Save Me" and "Men in Trees." 

Heche could've probably been more famous and prominent, were it not for '90s era anti-LGBT sentiment. While competing on "Dancing with the Stars," Heche revealed that her three years-plus romantic partnership with Ellen DeGeneres lost her work. "The stigma attached to that relationship was so bad that I was fired from my multi-million dollar picture deal, and I did not work in a studio picture for 10 years," she said (via People).

In early August 2022, Heche was driving erratically through Venice Beach, California, and crashed car at a high speed into a home. Per People, Heche fell into a coma, and she was in critical condition until August 12, when she was declared legally dead over an insurmountable brain injury and kept on life support only until her organs could be donated. Heche was 53.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Henry Silva

With more than 140 screen credits, Henry Silva was a highly recognizable and quintessential character actor. In possession of sharp features and an intense stare, Silva specialized in playing villains. In one of the his most high-profile roles, he portrayed communist operative Chunjin in "The Manchurian Candidate," where he engaged in a martial arts-based combat scene with costar Frank Sinatra. 

He also teamed up with Sinatra as thief-team member Roger Corneal in the original "Ocean's Eleven" and in "Sergeants 3," and he played the title character, a Mafia hitman on a revenge killing spree, in the '60s crime classic "Johnny Cool." Silva remained highly active in the '70s and beyond, popping up in hits like "Sharky's Machine" with Burt Reynolds, Steven Seagal's "Above the Law" (as bad guy Zagon), and "Dick Tracy" as Influence. Silva retired around the millennium after his final roles, in indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch's "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" and a cameo as a boxing spectator in 2001's "Ocean's 11" remake.

On September 16, 2022, Deana Martin, daughter of Silva's '60s co-star Dean Martin, confirmed the death of the actor. Silva was 95, per Variety.

Louise Fletcher

Louise Fletcher's screen career reaches back to the 1950s and encompasses more than 130 roles. But she's probably best known for playing one of the most memorable and terrifying movie villains of all time: Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." This landmark film won five Academy Awards in 1976, including best actress for Fletcher; she also captured a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for her performance. 

Fletcher settled into a wide variety of work after "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," including "The Lady in Red," "Strange Behavior," and "Cruel Intentions." Though few of these films hit the heights of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Fletcher ended up finding impressive success on the small screen in the last few decades of her life. Her performance as villainous cult leader Kai Winn Adami on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and Emmy-nominated turn as music teacher Eva Garrison on "Joan of Arcadia" were particular highlights. Fletcher's agent David Shaul reported to Deadline that the actor died in her sleep at her home in Montdurausse, France on September 23, 2022 at the age of 88.

Austin Stoker

Born in Trinidad, Austin Stoker was only 11 years old when he started working as a professional actor, according to Deadline. Wasting no time, he came to the United States at age 20,  served in the military, and broke into screen acting in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Stoker appeared on a wide variety of shows of the era, including "Kojak," "The Mod Squad," "Love, American Style," and "S.W.A.T.," while also delivering memorable performances in popular action movies like "Airport 1975" and "Battle for the Planet of the Apes." 

Stoker ultimately landed his two signature roles virtually back-to-back: Lt. Ethan Bishop in the crime classic "Assault on Precinct 13," and Virgil Harvey in the monumental TV adaptation of Alex Haley's historical saga, "Roots." Though Stoker took on fewer roles in the last two decades of his life, he kept acting until the end: His final role arrived in the 2022 dark comedy "Give Till It Hurts."

Stoker died of renal failure on October 7, 2022, the day he turned 92 years old.

Angela Lansbury

To put it simply, Angela Lansbury was an icon. As reported by Deadline, Lansbury was born in London, and made her first screen appearance at age 19 in the psychological drama "Gaslight." The world soon took notice: She snagged Academy Award nominations for that performance and the one she delivered in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" one year later. Lansbury received another Oscar nom for portraying a villainous mother in the trippy political thriller "The Manchurian Candidate." This is likely her most notable film work, not counting her turns in the Disney classics "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" and "Beauty and the Beast." 

Concurrent with her film and TV work, Lansbury frequently appeared on the stage, starring in major Broadway productions of "The King and I," "Gypsy," "Sweeney Todd," and "Mame." She picked up six Tony Awards along the way. But Lansbury's most unforgettable work arrived in 1984 when she began playing amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher on the smash-hit TV series "Murder, She Wrote." This performance earned Lansbury an astonishing 12 consecutive Emmy Award nominations.

Lansbury died in her sleep on October 11, 2022, five days before her 97th birthday.

Robbie Coltrane

An intense, classically trained actor, Robbie Coltrane was born Anthony Robert McMillan in Scotland, according to Deadline. He adopted the stage name Robbie Coltrane after jazz legend John Coltrane, and he honed his chops in theatrical productions and in bit parts in movies like "Flash Gordon" and "Mona Lisa" and on cult TV shows like "The Young Ones" and "Blackadder the Third." Eventually, he would break through as one of the U.K.'s most recognizable and in-demand character actors, starring in "Nuns on the Run," "The Pope Must Diet," and Kenneth Branagh's Oscar-nominated "Henry V." 

In 1993, Coltrane found his first signature role, as tormented criminal psychologist Fitz on the crime drama "Cracker," which would win the actor three BAFTA TV Awards for best actor. Concurrently, Coltrane appeared in three '90s James Bond movies as ex-KGB agent Valentin Zukovsky, and then he took on the role as kindly Hogwarts groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid in the blockbuster "Harry Potter" series — and he was reportedly source author J.K. Rowling's first choice.

Coltrane's agent reported that the actor had been suffering from health problems for two years and that he died on October 14, 2022 at a hospital in Larbert, Scotland. Coltrane was 72.

Ted White

Ted White's credits as a stuntman date back to the early 1950s, executing tricky effects for a lot of Western and sci-fi projects like "Rio Bravo," "The Alamo," and "Creature from the Black Lagoon. He remained one of Hollywood's most prolific stuntmen, working on everything from "Escape from New York" to "Major League" to "2 Fast 2 Furious" — while also maintaining a career as a character actor and supporting player. 

After playing small roles on '70s TV shows like "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "Kojak," and "Kung Fu," White landed his signature and probably most famous role, that of unhinged, seemingly immortal teen-killer Jason Voorhees in 1984's "Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter." (Of course, White's face was set behind his character's iconic hockey mask.) White remained active into his 90s, with his last screen role coming in a 2021 episode of the horror movie tribute series "Coroner's Report," reprising his role as Jason Voorhees.

Ted White (real name: Alex Bayouth) died on October 14, 2022, his son told Fox News. The stuntman and actor was 96.

Leslie Jordan

The familiar face, Southern accent, and self-deprecating, larger-than-life persona of Leslie Jordan were all recognized and appreciated by millions who didn't necessarily know his name. 

In the 1990s and beyond, Jordan frequently appeared in short stints and supporting roles on numerous TV comedies, almost always playing a heightened, scene-stealing version of himself. Jordan temporarily took over shows like "Hearts Afire," "Wings," "Arli$$," "Ally McBeal," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Monk," "Reba," "Ugly Betty," "Desperate Housewives," "Raising Hope," and "Life in Pieces." A sitcom pro, Jordan was a regular on "The Cool Kids" and "Call Me Kat" and injected comedy into multiple installments of Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story." Of course, he's probably best known for his signature role, that of socialite Beverly Leslie, both rival and friend to Karen Walker on "Will and Grace." During the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, Leslie became an online sensation for his sweet, silly, and revelatory Instagram videos, which sent his follower count into the multi-millions, per TMZ.

According to TMZ, Jordan was driving through Hollywood on the morning of October 24, 2022, when he experienced a sudden medical issue that caused him to crash his car into a building. Jordan was pronounced dead at the age of 67.

Leslie Phillips

Leslie Phillips had roles in more than 170 projects, in a career that lasted for well over 80 years. And yet he's best known — to contemporary, younger, American audiences, at least — for a role in which he didn't appear on-screen at all: He voiced the mischievous Sorting Hat in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." Other major career-topping performances came in the drama "Venus," for which he was nominated for a BAFTA and other awards in 2007, and in 2001's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider."

One of the most prolific and quintessentially British actors, Phillips often played British archetypes in quintessential British productions, appearing in made-for-TV stage adaptations (when not starring on the actual stage in London) and in multiple roles in the long-running "Carry On" franchise in the mid-20th century, which lampooned British life and sensibilities.

According to Deadline, Phillips died in his sleep on November 7, 2022, after a lengthy illness. The actor was 98.

Kevin Conroy

Kevin Conroy was a member of an ultra-exclusive club — one of a handful of people to portray Batman on-screen. And to many, he was the best actor to ever portray the Dark Knight, seeing as how his deep-voiced, understated, and unique take on the character would help create a whole new line of moody, introspective, highly dramatic projects about Gotham's tormented crimefighter. 

Conroy first voiced Batman and Bruce Wayne in Fox's acclaimed "Batman: The Animated Series" in the 1990s. The cartoon led to the big-screen "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" and a slew of direct-to-video projects. Conroy would further voice Batman in several related video game titles, as cameos in animated shows like "Teen Titans Go!" and "Scooby Doo and Guess Who?," as well portray him in a live-action gig, such as on a 2019 episode of "Batwoman."

Conroy had more than 100 credits to his name, most of them voice acting, after launching his career in the 1980s with stints on "Another World," "Dynasty," and in the "Kennedy" miniseries as Senator Ted Kennedy. According to Variety, Conroy died on November 10, 2022, shortly after receiving a cancer diagnosis. The actor was 66.

Jason David Frank

Jason David Frank was a '90s icon, endearing himself to a generation of fans as Tommy Oliver, aka the Green Ranger. The character first appeared in Season 1 of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," during the five-part episode "Green With Evil." Originally, Tommy was a bad guy, enchanted by Rita Repulsa to do her bidding and destroy the Power Rangers. But thanks to the Red Ranger, Tommy was eventually freed from his curse and joined the teenage team of martial arts heroes, although his rebellious nature often led him to clash with his colleagues.

Frank's character was one of the most popular in "Power Rangers" history, with Tommy eventually donning the mythical suit of the White Ranger. Outside of the flagship TV show, he would reprise the role of Tommy Oliver in multiple films and "Power Rangers" series. In addition to his TV gig, Frank absolutely loved martial arts. Born in Covina, California, he started training karate at the age of 4, and when he was older, he had a short but successful MMA career, winning three amateur fights and one professional bout (via Sherdog). He also started his own dojo near Houston, Texas, which he named Rising Sun Karate.

Tragically, Jason David Frank died in November 2022, at the age of 49 (via Deadline). The news of his death was confirmed to TMZ by Frank's representative. He is survived by his four children.

Irene Cara

An Oscar winner and powerful vocalist, Irene Cara was best known for her work in the 1980s. Born in 1959 in the Bronx, Cara was involved in show business at a young age, finding work on the "Sesame Street"-style show "The Electric Company." She then broke out in a big way with "Fame," the 30th highest-grossing film of 1980. In this musical drama, Cara played the uber-talented Coco Hernandez, who also sang the movie's title song.

While she didn't star in "Flashdance," the 1983 dance film would earn Cara her Oscar (and two Grammys and a Golden Globe), as she both co-wrote and sang the Academy Award-winning song "Flashdance... What a Feeling." Cara would also go on to star in projects like cop thriller "City Heart," which starred the legendary Clint Eastwood. Cara died at her Florida home in November 2022, with publicist Judith Moose saying (via NPR), "She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films." Cara was 63.

Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Clarence Gilyard Jr. found success in both acting and academia. On the educational side of things, he earned his bachelor's degree in acting at California State University, Long Beach and California State University, Dominguez Hills. Later on, he would earn an MFA in Theatre Performance at Southern Methodist University, and in 2006, he would begin teaching at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he covered both film and theater as an associate professor (via The Daily Beast).

On the entertainment side of things, Gilyard made his cinematic debut in 1986's "Top Gun," playing the pilot with the call sign "Sundown." He would then join one of the most memorable bad guy crews in action history, teaming up with Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber in "Die Hard." In the 1988 film, he played Theo, Gruber's tech guy, who would eventually get his just desserts at the hands of De'voreaux White's limo driver.

After that, he helped out Andy Griffith on "Matlock" as private investigator Conrad McMasters, but he truly endeared himself to TV fans in "Walker, Texas Ranger." Starring as Chuck Norris' sidekick, Jimmy Trivette, Gilyard appeared in every single episode of the show (via Variety), helping the titular Walker patrol the Lone Star State. Sadly, Gilyard died in November 2022 at the age of 66, with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas confirming his death and film chair Heather Addison saying (via Deadline), "Professor Gilyard was a beacon of light and strength for everyone around him at UNLV."

Al Strobel

Al Strobel didn't have the biggest filmography. He only appeared in nine projects, such as the TV movie "Child of Darkness, Child of Light" and the Kate Hudson indie drama "Ricochet River." However, Strobel did play one character that fans of '90s TV, David Lynch, and damn good coffee will remember forever. The one-armed actor is without a doubt best known for his work in the world of "Twin Peaks," portraying two characters sharing the same body — one-armed salesman Philip Gerard and the otherworldly entity known as Mike.

Strobel played in multiple episodes across the original CBS "Twin Peaks" series before reprising the role of Mike in both the film "Fire Walk With Me" and the show's Showtime revival, "Twin Peaks: The Return." His commanding presence and delivery of the "fire walk with me" poem made him absolutely unforgettable, even among all the other strange and larger-than-life figures surrounding him.

After Strobel died in Eugene, Oregon, in November 2022 at the age of 83 (via Variety), his "Twin Peaks" co-star Kyle MacLachlan wrote on Instagram, "One of the nicest guys ever. I'm so sad to hear this news. He brought a gravitas and intensity to the world of 'Twin Peaks' that was essential." Co-creator of the show, Mike Frost, also shared on Twitter, "Oh no... Dear Al... as those of you lucky enough to have met him over the years, what a warm and wonderful gentleman he was."

Brad William Henke

Brad William Henke had careers in both the world of acting and athletics. The Nebraska native played for the Denver Broncos as a defensive lineman, going up against the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl XXIV. After retiring from the NFL in 1994, he went into the world of acting, where his imposing frame and larger than life personality made quite the mark.

Fans of "Lost" will no doubt remember him as Bram, an acolyte of the mysterious Jacob who waged war against the wealthy Charles Widmore. He starred as the heroic Tom Cullen in the Paramount+ adaptation of "The Stand," the anti-government militiaman Big John in "Manhunt: Deadly Games," the pot-loving criminal Coover Bennett in "Justified," and Tony Tucci in "Dexter," who learns firsthand how dangerous the Ice Truck Killer can be.

In addition to showing up in movies like "World Trade Center," "Me and You and Everyone We Know," and "The Assassination of Richard Nixon," Henke will always be best remembered for his performance in "Orange Is the New Black." In the Netflix series, he portrayed the brutal corrections officer Desi Piscatella, a man who'll do pretty much anything to end a riot at Litchfield Penitentiary. The role nabbed him a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Sadly, Henke died in November 2022. He'd faced multiple health problems near the end of his life before finally dying in his sleep at the age of 56. At the time of his death, there was no cause given for his passing (via Deadline).

Kirstie Alley

Tragically, Kirstie Alley died at the age of 71 in December 2022. The cause of death was cancer, which — as her children, True and Lilillie Parker — explained in a statement, had only been recently discovered. However, Alley leaves behind quite the impressive filmography.

She starred alongside John Travolta in the "Look Who's Talking" series, where they played the parents of a baby whose inner monologue sounds a lot like the voice of Bruce Willis. "Star Trek" fans remember her fondly as Spock's protege, Saavik, in 1982's "Wrath of Khan," and '90s kids who loved Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movies will definitely recall her from "It Takes Two." She was the lead of her own sitcom, NBC's "Veronica's Closet," and if you're a fan of reality TV, Alley made her mark there as well, dancing her way across "The Masked Singer" and "Dancing With the Stars."

Of course, the role that Alley will be best remembered for is Rebecca Howe in "Cheers." She joined the sitcom after the departure of Shelley Long, who famously portrayed Diane Chambers. Those were some big shoes to fill, and Alley did an incredible job, even winning an Emmy for her performance in the show. (She picked up her second Emmy for the drama "David's Mother.") "Cheers" co-star Ted Danson mourned her loss, telling the Los Angeles Times, "I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh. I send my love to her children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her." John Travolta also mourned her passing, posting on Instagram, "Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I've ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again."

Helen Slayton-Hughes

Helen Slayton-Hughes was best known for playing the incredibly cranky Ethel Beavers on "Parks and Recreation." On the popular NBC sitcom, Ethel could often be found working as a court stenographer or grouching it up on the dreaded fourth floor of Pawnee's City Hall. Ethel was a woman immune to Tom Haverford's charms, who was adopted by Andy and April to be their grandmother, and who reluctantly helped Leslie Knope declare her love for Ben Wyatt.

Of course, that's far from the only role Slayton-Hughes played. Born in 1930, she began acting at the age of 50, and over the years, she's popped up in innumerable television shows such as "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "Rutherford Falls," "New Girl," "Arrested Development," "True Blood," "Desperate Housewives," "The West Wing," and the list goes on and on. She also appeared in movies like the Oscar-nominated "Good Night, and Good Luck," the animated Christmas film "Klaus," and the "Veronica Mars" movie.

Slayton-Hughes' death was confirmed by her family on Facebook on December 8, 2022, with a statement that read, "Helen passed away last night. Her pain has ended, but her fierce spirit lives on. Thank you for the love and support of her work." She was 92.

Bob McGrath

Bob McGrath racked up more than two dozen acting credits in a career that spanned the decades. In almost all of these projects, he played the same character: Sweet, helpful, kind-hearted city-dweller Bob Johnson of "Sesame Street" and its various straight-to-video specials and feature film spin-offs, like "Follow That Bird" and "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland." Bob was an original "Sesame Street" character, and McGrath portrayed the sunny guy in more than 400 episodes. His performance frequently showed off his fantastic singing. Indeed, McGrath had prominent vocal parts on many "Sesame Street" standards, including "Sing a Song" and "People in Your Neighborhood," according to CNN.

On December 4, 2022, the actor's family took to McGrath's Facebook page to announce the "Sesame Street" icon's death. McGrath was 90 years old.